In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, a tale of accomplished dreams and perseverance was told to both Oxnard College and Channel Island High School students who sat and listened anxiously to the speaker.
Award-winning novelist Reyna Grande read extracts from her books, “Dancing with Butterflies” and “Across a Hundred Mountains,” in her lecture titled “From Undocumented Immigrant to Award-Winning Author.”
The event was part of the Oxnard College Literature, Arts and Lecture Series on May 5, which painted a vivid portrait of her personal experiences as a Mexican immigrant with a gift for creative writing.
Grande began her lecture counting forward from her days of childhood and sharing intimate family photographs with the audience. As she did so, she spoke of her journey from living in Mexico to arriving in the U.S.
“My inspirations have always come from my personal experiences and those of my family as well,” said Grande. “Writing is a combination of imagination and real-life. Through my journey I realized how important it was for me to portray that.”
Remembering her rural living situation in Mexico, Grande explained how important it became for her parents to leave her and her siblings with their grandmother at a very young age. Her parents headed for the U.S. in search for income and a chance at a better life.
“We lived in a house made of sticks and cardboard,” said Grande. “We only had rags to wear and not much food to eat. My father wanted something better: a home made of concrete.”
Grande also spoke about the dangers in crossing the U.S. border illegally and her difficult cultural transition. She remembered that writing was the tool that helped her most at the age of 13, the age she began to write. Despite her tough journey, Grande persevered and became the first in her family to obtain two degrees in higher education.
“At first, I wrote poems to teach myself English,” she said. “Later, I found that it was a way for me to re-connect with the life I left behind and a way to bring my two cultures together. My goal was to hold on to my childhood memories and my Mexican roots.”
She made her last connection with the audience by elaborating on the fact that families often make decisions that will require tough choices. In those choices, she explained, families often make sacrifices that will ultimately shape your life. In her case, her experiences have helped her shape her award-winning novels.
David Magallanes, a math professor at Oxnard college, enjoyed the lecture very much.
“My grandparents left Mexico because they were political refugees,” he said. “I enjoyed listening to her journey because it made me think about my grandparent’s journey.”
Crystal Gonzalez, a 23-year-old health science major, was among the many students that attended the lecture.
“Her story is very inspiring [and] made me think of the obstacles that many people encounter,” explained Gonzalez. “As an immigrant, she came a long way to be a success story and every member of our Latino community should be proud of this.”
The next lecture will be May 12 from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. It will be held in LS-8 and it is free of charge.
For more information on the series, contact Shelley Savren at [email protected] or (805) 986-5800 ext. 1951.
